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My wife and I spent 3 nights at explora Rapa Nui Posada de Mike Rapu in April, 2013. I highly recommend the hotel.

This was my third stay at an explora property. The family and I stayed at the Atacama property in 2002, and I stayed with a friend at the Patagonia property in 2007 (see my review of that hotel on this site). Explora Rapa Nui was very similar in ambiance and comfort to those two properties.

The important thing to remember about an explora property is that explora is focused on “active” stays. If you would rather be driven out to see things, then you’re likely to be better off at some other hotel on Easter Island. Explora focuses on getting “boots on the ground”. Of course, the guides will adapt the difficulty of the hikes to the participants, but if you don’t want to break a sweat during your day (or you aren’t physically able to do a fair amount of hiking), then don’t stay here, because you are paying for a level of guided activities that you won’t be able to enjoy.

The wife and I are all about active stays, and found explora Rapa Nui to be about perfect for us.

The basics:

ROOM

Our room was comfortable and in good order. There is nothing “luxurious” about rooms at explora properties, which isn’t a problem since you spend very little time in your room. Lighting was good. The beds were comfortable. During our stay the temperature was high 70’s to low 80’s during the day with relatively high humidity, and the A/C in the room seemed to struggle a little bit to remove the humidity. So, I could understand the comments from others about the A/C being a little less than wholly adequate. That said, the room temperature and achieved humidity levels weren’t a problem for us.

PUBLIC AREAS

The public areas of the Posada de Mike Rapu are its strength. They take full advantage of the location and the sub-tropical surroundings. The windows can be (and are) fully opened, so that a delightful cross breeze is encouraged. Seating is plentiful and comfortable. There are dining options in several locations. We enjoyed the public areas very much.

FOOD

The food was superb. There were several options for each course, and you could limit the number of courses if you weren’t as hungry as the menu suggested. Although it’s been a while since I stayed at the other properties, my sense after staying at explora Rapa Nui was that the food here was the best of the three properties.

There was nice selection of wine included. My only complaint would be that the red wines were allowed to warm beyond acceptable consumption levels. I think they need a wine refrigerator to keep the reds “a point.” (A French vintner who works for the explora owner and who was present during our stay giving instruction to the staff agreed on this point.)

SERVICE

One of the keys to service in a fine hotel is presence of management. The manager of the hotel introduced herself to us almost immediately, and was available daily to check in with us. When she learned that we were heading next to a property (Puma Lodge) now managed by a former explora colleague, she emailed ahead to introduce us to him. An excellent job.

The guides, without exception, were terrific. Even when their English was not perfect, the guides managed to communicate effectively. They were extremely knowledgeable about the island, its history, flora and fauna. And, they were attentive to the needs of the guests on the excursions. Bravo.

All of the restaurant staff (and especially the bartender, who mixed some wonderful variations on pisco sours for us) were also personable, welcoming, and efficient.

THE EXCURSIONS

As with the Atacama and Patagonia properties, there are a fair number of excursion options. The wife and I found that staff was willing to rearrange the planned excursions to accommodate our interests (we wanted more difficult hikes than they originally offered – in response, they added a one or more hikes per day to meet our needs). Note that the hiking options can be very different from those described on the website – I perceive that, with some core elements aside, the guides turn a basic excursion into “their own” based on the day, the group of guests, and the timing.

ONE QUIBBLE

On arrival at the airport, we found that our checked baggage didn’t arrive with us. An explora staff member stayed with us while we dealt with LAN to report the problem. When the driver returned for us, the staff member and driver seemed content to talk amongst themselves in rapa nui rather than to engage us. When I spoke with them, they were happy to talk to us – but, the initial impression was not one of good service. Happily, this was the only time this happened.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Posada de Mike Rapu is a terrific property, offering an unmatched experience on Easter Island. I’d come back, again and again, and recommend it without hesitation to anybody interested in combining active vacations with great food and terrific ambiance.

Stayed April 2013, traveled as a couple

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exploraSA, CEO / Gerente General at explora Rapa Nui - All Inclusive, responded to this review,
August 5, 2013

Dear traveler,

Thank you so much for your very detailed and kind review of your explora Rapa Nui experience. (as well as Atacama and Patagonia in passing in this review).

I wholeheartedly agree with your overall recommendation that travelers who are seeking to be active while exploring a remote destination are the most typical explora travelers. In fact, it’s a combination of soft adventure, active travel and the “luxury of the essential”. We’ve coined that phrase in an effort to describe the level of luxury that explora offers: explora luxury focuses on the essential, on providing exactly what our travelers need to make every aspect of their journey as enjoyable and fulfilling as possible. For explora, luxury is in the simple details, which are never superfluous. Its value does not depend on how much it costs but on its ability to enrich your travel experience.

Thank you very much about your feedback about the need to chill our reds, which I have noted and will pass on our Operations Manager. Of course, I am delighted to read that the explora management as well as staff was able to customize your explora experience to your liking and travel goals. That is precisely what we aim to do with each and every traveler; to fulfill their travel goals depending on their level of fitness and special interests.

You already know about the benefits of our CESA program, a recognition program with benefits including rate discounts and room upgrades for repeat guests. For the latest 20th anniversary benefits, please visit our website.

Yours sincerely,

Jesús Parrilla

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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

We chose to spend our thirtieth anniversary on Rapa Nui and it was an excellent choice. We sprang for a suite and it was lovely. We did have a few issues: a prior Explora hotel had not been able to get the charges through Chilean credit card bureaucracy and there was no hot water our first night (and we needed it!), dirty rag left on our floor one night and a welcome tray of food delivered after dinner (10ish) one night, but other than those snafus it was a lovely time. We had hot water thereafter, the front desk person took care of both explora bills, the rag disappeared the next day and the bar tender was happy to keep our food refrigerated until the next day in the afternoon. The island is by itself incredible and the moai are just fascinating. I wondered how many I would want to see, but I wanted to see every last one. The explorations were great. The hotel was thinly populated when we were there, so everybody was very accommodating. They drove us to a couple of Moai for which we might not have had time, but enjoyed the walks around the caves and the quarry and the various platforms, boat houses and statues. Unfortunately, some of our walks went a little slower than anticipated as we never quite managed to get to the final visit before dark, so we were looking hard a the last moai in the twilight (they did make a special trip back to Anakena which was truly amazing.) Explora is NOT about putting on 6 pounds so the food is limited in choices, but I have never had any difficulty finding delicious and beautiful food. It may not always be your daily fare, but we learned about new foods happily. I found the hotel serene and peaceful (it may have a different atmosphere when fully booked) but by no means isolated, and watching the sunrise as we ate breakfast was a very pleasant start to the days. It was relaxing, educational and I even learned a few words of rapa nui! Maururu roa!

Room Tip: We only saw our room but 17 is a fantastic suite. it is not as much larger as some of the other Exp...

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Stayed May 2013, traveled as a couple

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exploraSA, CEO / Gerente General at explora Rapa Nui - All Inclusive, responded to this review,
August 5, 2013

Dear traveler,

Thank you very much for your kind review. While initially a mixed review, we thank you for taking the time to share your feedback and please rest assured that we will look into the reported matters.

explora’s daily changing menu is indeed not designed to put on weight, but it’s also not at all about dieting and I very much hope, that’s what you implied. explora’s culinary philosophy combines international cuisine with traditional Chilean specialties and our menu is ever evolving. Our emphasis is on custom explorations for all travelers and our menu is designed to enable travelers to enjoy the explorations without feeling heavy du to overly fatty or creamy food. Having said that, we do serve desert twice a day and in fact as many as travelers want and if our guests take to the Chilean habit of enjoying wine with meals, your daily explorations may just about balance out the extra calories.

I am delighted to read that you enjoyed your suite. explora’s architecture and design, which followed the LEED building practices, was awarded silver LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council in 2009. explora was the 1st hotel in Latin America to earn this certification, and the 2nd certified hotel outside the United States.

You may already know about the benefits of explora’s CESA program, a recognition program with benefits including rate discounts of 10% and room upgrades for repeat guests. For the latest 20th anniversary benefits, kindly visit our website.

Yours sincerely,

Jesús Parrilla

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I stayed here for 3 nights, and I would say that is the minimum night stay as I could have done a lot more on the island. Food and service at the hotel was great, with friendly waiting staff. My room had large windows giving me a lovely view of the surrounding countryside, and was spacious inside. I appreciated having a jacuzzi bath to relax in after a day of activity.The activities were well organised - I found the visit to the quarry the most interesting as that is where you see how the Moai statues were created and there are still some in situ, and others that were abandoned. I also did a lovely walk along the cliff top to the Orongo crater. I also borrowed one of the hotel´s bikes and cycled into town independently which takes around 30mins. The hotel has a swimming pool and spa area - the massage I had at the hotel was excellent.

Stayed May 2013, traveled solo

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exploraSA, CEO / Gerente General at explora Rapa Nui - All Inclusive, responded to this review,
August 5, 2013

Dear traveler,

Thank you very much for your enthusiastic review.

I am very grateful to you for mentioning the diverse excursions, in particular the quarry excursion, which happens to be one of my favorite, too. It’s a fantastic staring point to fully grasp the magnitude of the understating to shape moais and then transport them for miles to their final position. explora’s travel philosophy includes a firm believe that we are inspired to travel by the pleasure of the journey and by the richness of the experiences that it brings. In short, at explora we believe that the final destination is less important than the things that happen along the way. Depending on where we travel, that “way” can be hiked, enjoyed on the back of a horse or bicycle, motored on a boat or driven in a van. It all depends, but if it’s possible, we’ll make it possible for our travelers.

Please know that explora offers special benefits at certain times of the year for solo travelers. To learn more, kindly vist our website.

Furthermore, I want to make you aware of the benefits of explora’s CESA program, a recognition program with benefits including rate discounts and room upgrades for repeat guests. Detailed information can be found in our website.

We look forward to welcoming you back at explora.

Yours sincerely,

Jesús Parrilla

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The Lodge has similiar vibes of the old Tam O Shanter at Mission Beach Australia: ie an isolated unusually pleasant and comfortable resort . Management seems non existent yet the place runs smoothly.Conversley many of the waiterstaff are on the ball tourism graduates from Santiago and the young mostly indigenous guides are intensley proud of their inheritance. All are eager to please if you demonstrate an interest: as we did. Most speak spanish, rapi nui and a smattering of english but you'll get by!We are in our mid 60's, took our walking gear/raincoats etc, spent 4 nights at Explora, and would love to go back!South America is a 12-14 hour flight from Australia, plus the 3 - 4 hours to Easter Island. I'd say Australians are rare here, and will fit into the character of the place very easily.Expect some decently hard walking! and hundreds of archaeological sites. There's no snakes and the landscape appears an environmental disaster illogically clothed in eucalypts, guava and yellow lupins. Apparently introduced rats, cats, goats, cattle, horses chewed/killed their way through anything once natural/ left by the original inhabitants. Unlike Norfolk or Lord Howe Islands no one seems able to control the vermin which is a weird sort of admission by the Chilean government considering the cash cow that Easter island must surely be.Back to the resort. Life's really what you make of it. Explora is the perfect venue to enjoy the challenges of understanding the social history of Rapi Nui. Clevely, wifi is only available near the bar, we liked the decor, drank the freely available filtered water, were pleased with the ever changing menu.

Improvements could include camera batteries for sale at the shop, a proper walking and trip guide schedule rather than the current adhoc blackboard approach, a decent library of books pertinent to Easter Island,more use made of the excellent lecture room, a newsletter for those interested in returning as it is our understanding that archaeologists often visit and lecture at the resort, and more time to spend in town, as Monday's most of the shops are closed.Expect to take hundreds of photographs, meet some great people, perhaps form some longterm friendships, and enjoy your time in a historically significant environment.

Room Tip: probably all rooms are good

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Stayed May 2013, traveled as a couple

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exploraSA, CEO / Gerente General at explora Rapa Nui - All Inclusive, responded to this review,
August 5, 2013

Dear traveler,

Thank you very much for your detailed review.

I enjoyed reading your uniquely Australian take on Easter Island. Why the management seemed invisible to you is serious concern to me and all of us at explora. One of our guiding principle is a management approach based on close, but not overwhelming, contact with our our travelers. We will review this with our Management team in Easter Island.

Allow me to answer constructive feedback that I can easily solve. The explora newsletter signup page is in our webpage and one automatically signs up after check-out from the hotel. You should receive next issue.

Thank you also for your suggestion to have camera batteries available at the explora store, which is an easy item for us to add to the inventory immediately.

As for a more detailed overview of all explorations (minus the very custom explorations that explora sets up for all travelers depending on their needs and special interests) you should have found an overview booklet about explora Rapa Nui in your room, which includes this list and description of the excursions. They can also be found online, but again, a booklet is placed in every room upon arrival.

Our travel philosophy includes a firm believe that we are inspired to travel by the pleasure of the journey and by the richness of the experiences that it brings. In short, at explora we believe that the final destination is less important than the things that happen along the way. Depending on where we travel, that “way” can be hiked, enjoyed on the back of a horse or bicycle, motored on a boat or driven in a van. It all depends, but if it’s possible, we’ll make it possible for our travelers.

Please allow me to make you aware of the benefits of explora’s CESA program, a recognition program with benefits including rate discounts of 10% and room upgrades for repeat guests. For the latest 20th anniversary benefits, please visit our website.

Thank you again for your review.

Yours sincerely,

Jesús Parrilla

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I've been reading other reviews to know what's already been covered and I have to agree most wholeheartedly with the note that you should know what the culture of explora is meant to be. You should know what you're "getting into" before you go, because embracing it fully will give you the most quality experience. For me, it was exactly what I had hoped for, with a variety of active explorations, in-depth discussions of culture, access to sites off the beaten path--but with good food, open bar, and a luxuriously comfortable room thrown in at the end of the day. Having done my research about Easter Island, I knew that trying to put together an a la carte trip would be expensive (everything on the island IS, being that it's...yes...an island) and time-consuming, whereas explora offers a nice all-inclusive option that takes the legwork and guesswork out of budgeting and planning. No, it is not cheap, but there is that old adage about getting what you pay for...to which I would add "and you should squeeze every last peso out of your experience". I like that you can socialize--or not--depending on your experience of the people you spent a few hours hiking with (all of MY co-guests were interesting, vital people who had their own great stories to tell, so I was really blessed!). I like that you can choose your own level of exertion--though, yes, some of the trip descriptions could be a bit more thorough. I like the explora concept of "surprises", and there were plenty--a beachside BBQ with whole fish on the grill and a bar set-up 15 feet from the waves; a cold beer at the end of the full day hike, sparkling wine at sunset at the base of a moai, and the willingness of the guides to be flexible. I especially recommend Carlos, Camilla and Gina for their enthusiasm, humor, energy, and local knowledge. My recommendation is to come ready and willing to get involved; to ask the experience to give you back what you put into it. You will not be disappointed. The hotel experience itself is superlative (all of the nice touches of luxury: spotlessly clean facilities, decadently comfortable bed, incredible privacy and amazing views), the restaurant offers limited choices (please see: it's an island, so there are just two choices of starters, mains, and desserts at each meal) but all of my dishes were done with care and skill...that said, explora offers the possibility of much more than all of that...IF you take advantage of it. If you'd prefer to be driven to the various sites at the photographically perfect time of day, and then returned to a poolside chaise and offered a drink...well, explora might not be what you're looking for. Though they do have a pool...and a couple of excellent bartenders. :) Hanga Roa is an easy bike ride away if you like to go off on your own, though don't have high hopes of anything more than a town...the museum was closed, so I can't speak to that, but an hour gives you a good overview of town life and the chance to get your passport stamped at the post office. Yes, the WiFi is indeed a problem if you need to be connected. I know they offer a massage option and I heard two fellow guests rave about it, though I have no firsthand knowledge. Swimming at Ahukena beach is not to be missed, especially if you remember how far away you are from everywhere else while you're bobbing in the Pacific. I was there in "slow" season so there weren't any evening music performances, which was too bad, though I probably could have asked if there were any in town. The explora staff, to a man (and woman) is ready to accommodate and assist (offering a Band-Aid when I ran out, calling a local cab for me one evening, mailing postcards before I discovered the post office), and--all in all--I can't imagine a better experience of Easter Island. I did the five night, four day option with a single room (ask for a solo traveler discount, which is not available on the website but they do offer it). For me, it was a perfect fit and just the right amount of time.

Stayed May 2013, traveled solo

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exploraSA, CEO / Gerente General at explora Rapa Nui - All Inclusive, responded to this review,
August 5, 2013

Dear traveler,

Thank you very much for your detailed and enthusiastic review.

I so appreciate your diligence in describing your explora experience, your choice of excursions and guides as well as the occasional “surprises” (spoiler alert!). I will make sure to pass on your kind comments about individual staff members to the team.

Allow me to reply to your solo travel comments towards the bottom of your review right away. explora is in its third year to offer solo traveler benefits at certain times. To learn more, please visit our website.

The dance performance that you couldn’t attend is called Kari Kari and if you were not made aware of the performance by the management, the group must indeed have been on a trip, which is usually the reason that the performance is interrupted temporarily.

I am particularly happy to read your definition of the “explora culture” and the need for travelers to understand our art of travel. In our opinion, travel should combine interaction with nature and local cultures with relatively demanding physical activity, which is necessary if you want to see the best of what the remote has to offer. Then, at the end of the day, even under the most difficult circumstances, explora provides comforts and pleasures which reward the effort made.

Please allow me to make you aware of the benefits of explora’s CESA program, a recognition program with benefits including rate discounts of 10% and room upgrades for repeat guests. For the latest 20th anniversary benefits, kindly visit our website.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Jesús Parrilla

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Really enjoyed my 3 night stay in a Raa suite at explora Rapa Nui recently. The decor in the suite is simple which highlights the large panes of windows offering superb views of the ocean. On the other hand, I didn't care for the unfinished concrete walls in the main room. Being an eco-friendly property, bottled water is discouraged and so every guest is given a nice explora stainless steel water bottle upon arrival. Drinking water is refilled in a glass carafe in the room twice a day although I could have used a couple of carafes at a time. Housekeeping was meticulous and turn down was done while we were at supper. Meals and drinks are included with the rate. Food was generally delicious and the food normally came out quite quickly. Selection is limited to only a couple of choices for each course for lunch and dinner, which typically consists of an appetizer, salad, entree and a dessert. However, I overheard one couple telling the staff that they had a craving for spicy fried rice (?) and apparently they accommodated them. Despite having a fly in my food one day, meals were normally nicely presented with a decent selection of wines and spirits for all inclusive. Now when you book with explora, you're not signing up for a spa retreat. It's all about the excursions and you have the opportunity to do 2 per day, usually at 9:30 and 3:30. They will even have an excursion planned for you in the afternoon the day you arrive. Most of the excursions involve some degree of hiking while they also offer some cycling and boating/snorkelling excursions. While they will most likely accommodate you, if you simply want to be driven to the different sites on the island then explora is not for you. The hotel itself is somewhat isolated from the main town of Hanga Roa so it's not like you can walk out and hail a cab. Guides were informative and friendly, Carlos was excellent. Hiking snacks were provided and trekking poles were available to use. Most of the hikes were quite enjoyable although there were some portions such as hiking through 5 ft high brush that seemed kind of pointless. The explora website shows some of the excursions available but it should have more pictures of the sites you will be seeing because if it says you'll be seeing "Ahu Tahira" it is not immediately obvious what that is. WiFi was painfully slow and only available in a small area around the bar/lobby area. The best connection is at the gift shop, where their circa 1995 router is located. There was no TV in the room, which was not a big deal, but having in room WiFi should be standard these days. Overall, explora Rapa Nui was great experience but make sure you come prepared with a good pair of hiking boots and some basic gear.

Stayed May 2013, traveled as a couple

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I loved staying at the Explora on Easter Island. I felt at home from the moment we arrived. They really set everything up so that you can take advantage of everything they have to offer and everyone that worked there was exceptionally friendly. From the bartenders to the guides, they were all fantastic.

Room Tip: We had a beautiful view of the sunrise, but all the rooms might have that view. My bed faced towards...

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Stayed March 2013, traveled with friends

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exploraSA, CEO / Gerente General at explora Rapa Nui - All Inclusive, responded to this review,
June 6, 2013

Dear traveler,

Thank you very much for your detailed and complimentary review of your explora experience.I will make sure to pass on your feedback to the explora Rapa Nui team and want say how much I appreciate you classifying explora Rapa Nui as a lodge and team that made you “feel at home from the moment you arrived.” We are very honored about such a kind compliment!

Please know that after visiting one explora lodge, you are entitled to the benefits of our CESA, a recognition program with benefits including rate discounts of 10% and room upgrades for repeat guests. For information, please visit our website.

Yours sincerely,

Jesús Parrilla,

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Our lodge was the first in South America to obtain LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the United States Green Building Council.Our lodge, which opened in December 2007, was built on 9.6 Hectares (23.7 Acres) of land situated on a hill in the Te Miro Oone area, and overlooks the ocean. This is in south-eastern Rapa Nui, 8 kilometers (4.9 Miles) from Hanga Roa, the most populated part of the island.All of the 30 rooms, which extend to the north and south from a central building, have excellent ocean views. The lodge has welcoming indoor spaces which integrate aspects of the local culture.The design is intended to have minimal impact on its surroundings. The lodge is built on a site which is inappropriate for agricultural use and has no archaeological remains. The flora surrounding the lodge has been maintained intact....more less

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